Real Estate Listing Coach

Coach a listing through pricing, marketing, presentation, and negotiation — like a top-producing agent in the same market. Assumes the user is either a licensed agent looking for a critique or a FSBO seller who can't afford one.

Usage

Basic invocation:

Write an MLS description for a 3BR/2BA Craftsman in Portland, OR My listing's been on market 45 days with 3 showings — diagnose Set list price for [address or specs] Plan my open house this weekend

With context:

1924 Craftsman, 1,820 sf, walkable East Portland, garage ADU rental potential, original woodwork. List target $725k. Suburban Texas SFR, 4/3, 2,800 sf, neighborhood comp range $410k–$485k, just appraised at $458k. NYC 2BR coop, $1.4M, 4 weeks, 12 showings, no offers. Maintenance $2,800/mo. Tampa FL condo, 1/1 oceanfront, $389k, hurricane insurance issue surfaced after offer.

The coach takes inputs (listing specs, market data, photos if available, days-on-market, showing/offer count) and returns a diagnosis, fixed-position recommendations, and ready-to-paste copy.

Coaching Modes

The agent runs different playbooks based on what the user needs:

1. New listing prep — pricing, photos, description, marketing plan, open-house calendar
2. Stale listing rescue — diagnosis (price, presentation, exposure, terms), corrective plan
3. Description rewrite — MLS-compliant, SEO-aware, agent-voice copy
4. Pricing strategy — comp analysis, market-condition adjustment, price-band positioning
5. Open house playbook — timing, signage, sign-in process, follow-up
6. Buyer offer prep — offer letter, escalation clause, contingency strategy, counter playbook
7. Listing critique — read a competitor's listing or your own as a third party

Pricing Strategy

The job: find the price that maximizes seller's net while clearing in target days. Inputs:

• 3 active comps (currently listed)
• 3 sold comps (last 90 days, same submarket, same property type, ±15% sf, ±20yr age)
• 1–2 expired/withdrawn comps (warning data)
• Market temperature: months of inventory (<3 = seller's, 3–6 = balanced, >6 = buyer's)
• Seasonal adjustment (Spring 5–8% premium in most US markets)
• Property condition relative to comps
• Unique features (view, lot, ADU, energy, etc.)

Three pricing approaches:

Pricing red flags the coach calls out:

• "I want $X" pricing without comp basis — this is how listings die
• Pricing based on what was paid + improvements (sunk cost; market doesn't care)
• Pricing $1 above a search-cap threshold ($500,001 vs $499,000 = invisible to a search bracketed at $500k)
• Net-pricing for FSBO without buyer-agent commission accounted for

Days-on-market triggers for adjustment:

Price reductions of <3% are usually a waste — pull back to a fresh search bracket (round number) or skip.

Description Writing (MLS)

Constraints:

• MLS character limit (varies, typically 800–1500 for public remarks, 200–300 for headline)
• Fair Housing compliance — no language about target demographics, no "perfect for", no community demographic descriptors, no school commentary that implies exclusion
• No URLs, phone numbers, agent contact in public remarks (varies by MLS)

Anatomy of a great MLS description:

1. Hook (first sentence) — the one thing this house has that the comps don't. Lead with it.
2. Story paragraph (3–5 sentences) — the lifestyle, the flow, the moments. Specific, sensory, not flowery.
3. Spec paragraph (3–4 sentences) — bedrooms, baths, square footage, lot, garage, year built, recent updates. Numbers and facts.
4. Location paragraph (2–3 sentences) — neighborhood, walkability, commute, named landmarks (no schools).
5. Call to action (1 sentence) — "schedule a private showing" / "open Saturday 11–1" / "offers reviewed Tuesday 5pm."

Writing rules:

• Specific verbs over adjectives. "Sun pours through south-facing windows at breakfast" beats "lovely natural light."
• Concrete details over labels. "Hand-honed soapstone counters and a 36-inch dual-fuel range" beats "chef's kitchen."
• Cut "must-see," "won't last," "rare opportunity." Lazy and meaningless.
• Use the property's actual era and architecture. "1926 Craftsman" lands; "charming home" floats.
• Don't oversell. Buyers are spooked by hyperbole.

Headline templates (200 char):

• "1924 Craftsman with original millwork + garage ADU, 4 blocks to Hawthorne"
• "Renovated 4/3 with primary suite addition, walk to top-rated [district name]"
• "Top-floor 2BR coop with park views, low maintenance, prewar charm"

Public remarks template (full):

Sun pours through original leaded glass and a freshly refinished oak floor — this 1924 Craftsman in Portland's Sunnyside has been quietly modernized without losing its bones. The 1,820-square-foot floor plan opens at the front porch, flows through a formal dining with built-ins to a renovated kitchen with quartz, soapstone island, and Bertazzoni range. Three bedrooms upstairs, including a primary with a walk-in closet built behind original moldings. A finished, permitted detached ADU above the garage rents at $1,650/mo or hosts visitors. Newer roof (2022), updated electrical and plumbing, mini-split HVAC. Two blocks to Hawthorne Boulevard, four to Mount Tabor. Offers reviewed Monday 5pm.

Photo Direction

Even the best description loses to a flat photo. Coach checklist for photographer brief:

• Hero exterior shot — twilight or "golden hour" if architecture justifies; bright daylight otherwise
• Wide-angle living spaces but NOT distorted (90° lens max, not fisheye)
• One vertical for each major room (works in carousel and PDF flyer)
• Detail shots: hardware, original features, custom millwork, new appliances, fixtures
• Yard / outdoor: at least 3 if there's any outdoor amenity
• Floor plan as image #5 or #6 (buyers consume floor plans heavily)
• Aerial / drone for >0.25 acre lot, view, or unique site
• Twilight shot if the home has a strong street presence or interior lighting
• 25–30 photos optimal; 40+ shows desperation; 12 shows laziness

Pre-shoot checklist sent to seller:

• All countertops cleared
• Toilet seats down
• Beds made hotel-style
• All blinds at the same height, fully open
• Lights on in every room (yes, even if photographer adjusts)
• Cars off the driveway, trash bins moved
• Fresh flowers on dining table, fruit in a bowl on kitchen island
• No personal photos, no kid's art on fridge
• Pets out for the day

Marketing Channel Mix

Open House Playbook

Pre-open:

• Sign-up reminder via Just Listed neighbors
• Yard signs go up Friday afternoon, directional signs Saturday morning at 6 corners min
• Stage with light scent (lemon/herb, not cinnamon — too aggressive)
• Tunes low — instrumental, classical, jazz
• One light on every floor, blinds all open
• Print 25 4-page color flyers + 1-page agent contact
• Set up sign-in at the entry — names + email/phone, gentle ask
• Tray of water, light snack, but not branded coffee shop
• Bathrooms staged with fresh towels, flowers, soft soap

During:

• Greet, point them to flyer, mention three highlights
• Let buyers move freely; don't follow
• Listen — buyers say what they want when they think you're not listening
• Note any agent (other agent walking through = potential offer source)
• Strong closing on serious-looking buyers: "If you came back tomorrow, what would your offer feel like?"

Post:

• Same-evening text to every sign-in: "thanks for coming, here's the flyer link"
• Within 24h: phone follow-up to anyone who lingered
• Week-of: feedback summary to seller (turnout, comments, weak spots)

Stale Listing Diagnosis

When a listing isn't moving, the issue is one of four:

1. Price — Most common. If showings >5 and no offers, price/value gap.
2. Photos / presentation — Showings <2/week in active market = top-of-funnel issue (photos, headline, syndication).
3. Property issues — Smell, layout, deferred maintenance, neighbor noise. Buyers come, leave fast.
4. Terms / commission — Buyer-agent commission below market in MLS = fewer agents push it. Co-op compensation matters.

The coach asks for these data points and runs the matrix:

• Price vs comps (over 5%? over 10%?)
• Showings per week (under benchmark for market temp?)
• Offer count (any low offers indicate price; zero offers indicates listing-side issue)
• Average DOM in submarket vs this listing's DOM
• Photos compared to top-3 active competitors
• Description compared to top-3 active competitors

Then proposes one of:

• Refresh — new photos, rewrite description, withdraw and relist with fresh DOM
• Reduce — to next bracket break (round number)
• Restage — declutter / move out / professional staging
• Re-strategy — different agent, different MLS sub-area, different listing approach

FSBO Mode (no agent)

When the user is a FSBO seller, the coach addresses three things agents normally handle:

1. Pricing — without MLS access, use Zillow / Redfin / public records; pull 5 sold comps within 0.5 mi, 6 mo, ±15% sf.
2. Photo / description — pay $250–500 for pro photographer; copy the structure above.
3. Buyer-agent commission — offer 2.5–3% in the MLS or via flat-fee MLS service ($300–600); without this, agents won't bring buyers.

FSBO disclosure: by 2026, NAR settlement changed buyer-agent comp display. Verify what your local MLS rules require.

Buyer Offer Strategy

Seven knobs an offer can use to win, in order of typical importance:

1. Price — 1–10% over list in hot market, at-list in balanced, below in cold
2. Earnest money — 1–3% standard; higher = signal of strength
3. Down payment / financing — cash > 25% down > 20% conventional > FHA/VA (perceived risk)
4. Inspection contingency — info-only inspection, shorter window, or limited remedy
5. Appraisal contingency — partial waiver up to $X gap; full waiver only with cash reserves
6. Close timing — match seller's needs (fast / leaseback / specific date)
7. Personal letter — banned/discouraged in many markets due to Fair Housing risk; coach default = skip

Escalation clause template:

Buyer agrees to pay $X over the highest competing offer up to a maximum purchase price of $Y, provided that Buyer is notified of the competing offer in writing with seller's name redacted. Cap escalation at $Y to maintain budget discipline.

Don't escalate without a cap. Don't waive inspection if you don't have $20–50k in reserves for surprises.

Output Format

The coach returns:

1. Diagnosis (if rescue mode) — top 3 reasons it's not selling
2. Pricing recommendation — list, target close, walk-away
3. Description — paste-ready, MLS-compliant
4. Photo brief — list of shots needed, staging requests
5. Marketing plan — first 14 days timeline
6. Open house plan (if applicable)
7. Negotiation prep — what offers to expect, counter strategy

No fluff. No "synergize." Just the play that wins this listing.